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Phillip Yazzie waits for a water drum in the back of his pickup truck to be filled in Teesto, Ariz., on the Navajo Nation, on Feb. 11, 2021.

Feds want justices to end Navajo fight for Colo. River water

Mar 17, 2023 The tribe doesn't have enough water and says that the federal government is at fault.
Flowers in bloom at Picacho Peak State Park, 2019.

Winter moisture expected to yield big wildflower bloom in Arizona

Mar 14, 2023 Experts say conditions lined up to produce massive floral displays in lower elevations.
Tom Buschatzke (front) signs a water conservation deal with other Colorado River water managers, Dec. 15, 2021. "I thought we had very robust conversations with the California representatives," he said of the January 2023 negotiations.

Was California consulted in recent Colorado River negotiations?

Mar 11, 2023 Leaders in other states disagree with that characterization.
Water in the Colorado River system fills Flaming Gorge Reservoir on June 26, 2021.

Feds pause some Flaming Gorge water releases amid a snowy winter for the Colorado River

Mar 9, 2023 After states in the Colorado River's Upper Basin filed a request with the Bureau of Reclamation.
Telescopes atop Kitt Peak during the summer.

Winter snow slows space exploration in southern Arizona

Mar 6, 2023 Mountaintop astronomers are sometimes stranded by heavy snow at telescope sites.
The Green River flows beneath the Flaming Gorge Dam in Utah.

Proposed pause on reservoir releases prompts Arizona and Lower Basin states to respond

Mar 2, 2023 Those states essentially agreed with the idea of suspending water releases, but said water managers should wait a few months.
A skier cruises down Snowmass ski area, where January brought heavy snow to the mountains that supply the majority of the Colorado River's water. Scientists say this could provide a temporary boost to shrinking reservoirs.

The Rockies are having a snowy winter, but not all of that water will make it to the Colorado River

Feb 13, 2023 A snowy January is not enough to overcome conditions caused by years of below-average moisture in the region.
Low water levels at Wahweap Bay at Lake Powell along the Upper Colorado River Basin are shown, on June 9, 2021, at the Utah and Arizona border at Wahweap, Ariz.

Interior: $580M headed to 15 tribes to fulfill water rights

Feb 2, 2023 The money will help carry out the agreements that define the tribes' rights to water from rivers and other sources and pay for pipelines, pumping stations, and canals that deliver it to reservations.
The seven states in the Colorado River basin couldn't agree on a plan to conserve unprecedented amounts of water before a federal deadline. Meanwhile, grim projections for the future of water levels in Lake Mead have forced mandatory cuts to water for some users in the lower basin. Federal authorities are trying to prop up levels in the nation's largest reservoir before they dip too low to generate hydropower or allow the passage of water.

California holdout in agreement over Colorado River cuts

Jan 30, 2023 Six western states that rely on water from the Colorado River have agreed on a model to dramatically cut their use.
After two decades of drought, parts of Lake Mead that were once underwater have been exposed as the lake falls to historically low levels.

Recent snowfalls may slow water level decline at Lake Mead

Jan 30, 2023 Forecasters now expect Lake Mead to finish this year around 1,027 feet elevation, about 19 feet lower than its current level.
Fresh snowfall in Saguaro National Park, East, near Tucson, Arizona.

The Buzz: Arizona and snow

Jan 20, 2023 While non-rain precipitation is rare in the deserts, it's not uncommon for the mountains to get feet of snow each year.
An attendee learns to ride a snowboard on Mount Lemmon Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023. Ski Valley offers lessons throughout the day.

Ski Valley opens for snowboarding and skiing

Jan 6, 2023 Almost 250 people attended and worked Ski Valley's opening day.
A canal carries water from the Colorado River to tribal land in Arizona.

Biden signs water bills benefiting 3 tribes in Arizona

Jan 6, 2023 President Joe Biden signed legislation Thursday giving leasing authority to the Colorado River Indian Tribes, whose reservation tracks its namesake on the Arizona-California border.
Water levels in Lake Powell, seen here in May 2021, are dipping dangerously low. The federal government has proposed an unprecedented plan to cut back on water supplies for Arizona, Nevada and California. The measure aims to keep water levels high enough to generate hydropower at the Glen Canyon Dam.

The Buzz: Looking back on 2022

Dec 30, 2022 Newsworthy interviews and topics that we addressed this year.
A row of bright yellow aspen trees at Arizona Snowbowl north of Flagstaff.

Climate change and drought are muting bright fall colors as we know them

Dec 25, 2022 Researchers in Flagstaff are tracking tree health with a network of cameras to determine how the forests are being affected.
An empty rack of flares sits on the wing of a turboprop Piper PA31T Cheyenne II airplane.

SRP researches cloud seeding in White Mountains to create snow amid historic drought

Dec 24, 2022 The state also helps fund cloud seeding programs in Colorado meant to increase flows into the Colorado River.

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